


Five easy steps to screw up an epic friendship and sabotage your own happiness in less than ten minutes – by Prompto Argentum

by Inkaley



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Accidental First Kiss, Accidental Kissing, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Best Friends, Dorks in Love, Epic Friendship, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, M/M, Minor Prompto Argentum/Cindy Aurum, POV First Person, Regrets, Romance, Suppressed Feelings, prompto pov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-09 10:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17404976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkaley/pseuds/Inkaley
Summary: Do you also have that one best friend that means the world to you? Here's how to get rid of them in no time! All you need to do is let yourself be fooled into an impetuous accidental kiss - and the damage done will be irreversible.Promptis getting together, objectively set after chapter 14, but contains some canonical divergences (like no timeskip).





	1. Step 1: Let yourself be deluded

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I just took up playing FFXV again and was reminded of my little take on Promptis that I've written ages ago, but somehow never posted.  
> It contains some canonical divergences, as for example it's set after chapter 14, but the timeskip never happenend. Also, I imagine Ignis still got his eyesight in here.  
> Hope you enjoy this little getting-together nevertheless :)

**Step 1: Let yourself be deluded**

 

Who would have guessed this is how I meet my end.

Me, Prompto Argentum, indestructible fighter and brave member of the Crownsguard, who overcame the hardest of hardships, who prevailed in the toughest of battles – against demons, titans, gods even. And all of it just to take his final breath up here under the relentlessly glaring sun of Rock Ravatogh, far away from any kind of civilization, alone, abandoned and lost, tormented in agony, doomed to perish in a slow and painful death from dehydration.

“Forgive me, Noct,” I croak into the endless sky above me, “I swore to protect you till the very end, but I failed you… Forgive me…”

And with one faint, final sigh of desperation, I close my eyes for good, sinking into eternal peace…

“Less talking, more walking, Prompto,” Noct chips in dryly, urging me on with a push. “We’re almost there, the summit’s just around the corner.”

“But I _can’t_ go on!” I protest, reopening my eyes with a frown, sitting back on a rock to catch my breath. “I’m dead, Noct. My legs are trembling like jello, my calves are on fire. I can’t take one more step.”

He looks at me for a moment, then sighs and lets himself drop on the rocky ground. “Trust me, I’m just as beat as you are. But we need to finish this. Otherwise we can’t go back down. And I don’t wanna spend the night up here.”

I pout with a growl, puffing up my cheeks, thinking of Gladio and Ignis. “Bastards,” I hiss, thinking back to this morning, when the four of us stood outside the motel, drawing straws to decide who gets to climb the Rock of Ravatogh and who gets to take a nice, relaxing road trip to Lestallum. “I bet they’re sitting in a fancy little café somewhere, sipping at a nice cool glass of lemonade. Decorated with a tiny umbrella. Ah, _lemonade_ …”

“Just think of Cindy,” Noct reminds me, tossing me a bottle of water. Neither is it lemonade nor is it cool, but it’s _liquid_. Gotta be grateful for the little joys in life, right? “Think of how her eyes will sparkle once we – no, once _you_ hand her over that mithril screw.” Imitating her voice, “ _Oh, Prompto, my hero!_ ”

“Tehehe…” I catch myself grinning dorkily for a second, then immediately remind myself that I wanna look pissed. I cross my arms over my chest. “My Grease Monkey Goddess, she’s asking me to die for her... Not cool.”

“No, that’s not cool,” Noct agrees to my surprise. “Even though technically you’d die for the Regalia, so Cindy wouldn’t even appreciate the extent of your sacrifice.”

He sort of has a point, so I just growl again, putting the bottle with the remaining water back into my bag. With a heavy, sluggish movement I push myself off the rock and back on my feet.

“Here he goes,” Noct comments with a self-pleased smile, even though he groans like an old man himself standing up. “We really should get going. Daylight’s already fading.”

 

At least this time he didn’t lie about us almost being there. Not even a quarter later, we reach the spot just below the summit that Cindy marked on our map with a blue circle, narrowing down the area we have to search.

“Who on earth would hide a single screw somewhere on top of a mountain anyway?” I keep complaining as Noct and I spread out across the terrain to retrieve the requested item. “It makes zero sense!”

“And how on earth was Cindy able to pinpoint its exact location so accurately anyway?” Noct joins in. “If she knew where to find it, she could have just gotten it herself.”

“Hey,” I look up from the pile of rocks I’m in the middle of inspecting. “Don’t drag Cindy into this. What kind of king would you be, expecting a girl to take on a strenuous hike like this.”

Noct just shrugs and grins at me. “Well, I don’t discriminate against anyone, neither women nor men. Anyone should be free to suffer making it up here.”

I can’t help chuckling. “King Noctis, advocate of equal rights.”

“Of course,” Noct agrees with a satisfied nod. “We kind of need the money though, so I guess it’s fine us being here, in this case.”

By now, the shadows have already grown considerably longer, even though it’s only half past three. Luckily, the end of our quest is in sight as I’m suddenly fishing a small Tupperware container out of my pile of rocks, labeled _Legendary Mithril Screw_. “Hey, Noct, I think I got it!”

Noct immediately comes over and crouches down next to me as I open the dusty box. Inside there’s a tiny little screw that somehow looks more like it should be used inside a clockwork, not inside a car, but whatever!

“Sweet,” Noct hisses through his teeth but whether he looks so pleased because we’re so awesome or because we’re finally able to call it a day and head for the motel will forever stay a mystery.

For me, it’s definitely the latter, so I’m quick to let the Tupperware slip into my bag and get back up. “Alright,” I say, patting the dust off my pants. “Then let’s get moving! I’m starving anyway.”

“And tired!” Noct is quick to add.

I nod. “And _sore_!”

 

It’s quickly getting darker as we’re starting with our descent and I quickly realize that walking downhill with sore muscles is just as painful and exhausting as the actual climb. I’m therefore quite grateful when Noct suddenly stops dead in his tracks, gazing west.

“Hey, check this out,” he says, pointing towards a smaller trail branching off to our right. It leads ahead a few hundred feet, then ends in a wide open terrace that’s marked on our map as a haven – Owlyss Haven.

“I’m betting the view’s amazing over there,” Noct looks at me over his shoulder. “You should take a picture!”

“Ah, well, I dunno…” My excitement over this little break dies down immediately. Yeah, fine, I’m not eager to walk on, but I’m not a big fan of scenic views from a mountain summit either – I just can’t tell whether my sore muscles outweigh my fear of heights or if it’s actually the other way around. So I keep standing there petrified for a few seconds, until Noct – already halfway towards the terrace – waves at me. “Come on, it’s gonna make for an impressive shot!”

“Yeah, I fear so,” I murmur, hesitantly coming after him.

The closer I get to the terrace, the colder and fiercer the wind gets – I see it tugging at Noct’s hair and coat as he stands in the middle of the haven, arms spread, eyes directed at the stars.

“This is amazing, Prompto!” he calls, laughing. “There’s no way you can capture that in a picture.”

“Never mind, so I guess we’re done here anyway…”

I’ve reached the terrace now and stop. Going as far as this is okay, I decide. The abyss isn’t visible from back here, so the view I’m treated with is characterized by _distance_ not _depth_. And no kidding, it is amazing.

“Incredible,” I murmur, letting my eyes wander to the far horizon, a glowing line of dark red fading into the blue, then dark blue, then pitch black starlit sky. An endless sea of treetops extends before us, huge trees, but so small from up here, covering hills and valleys, at times silver in the moonlight, at times melting into the shadows of the night.

It makes me realize how vast and huge this world around us actually is, how small and insignificant we seem in comparison – a thought that weighs heavy on your heart when you think about it.

“Prompto,” Noct calls me and when I turn my eyes to him, he points up.

The sky – an untainted black now – has turned into a home for a thousand stars. And by a thousand I mean a thousand. I’ve never seen that many stars ever in my life, they seem so close up here, like countless twinkling jewels spread on a giant canvas, gathering here and there to form bright clusters or lines curving across the endless black.

“You’re right,” I murmur, awed, “the camera won’t be able to capture that.”

Noct waves again. “Then take a shot of the view instead. It’s bright enough thanks to the stars.” He beckons me over to the edge.

“You know what? It’s cool. I can take one from here.”

“But from over there you won’t be able to–“ He’s just about to object when suddenly he pauses, probably remembering my fear of heights. His features grow soft and he gives me a compassionate smile. “’Right.” Slowly he comes over to me, nods at me, then reaches to take my hand. “Come on,” he tells me, as I feel his fingers closing around mine. I don’t pull away, but instead let myself be led across the terrace – it’s a bit weird, him taking my hand instead of my arm, as if we were little kids, but there’s also a strange kind of confidence and trust conveyed by this gesture that gives me the courage to overcome my fears and walk ahead, step by step.

“I guess that’s far enough for a start,” Noct then announces as he stops in the middle of the terrace.

“Yeah,” I agree quickly, letting out a relieved chuckle. I would have followed him all the way to the edge I guess, but I’m grateful he doesn’t push this. It feels like a fair and safe compromise and that gets me to relax. “Alright,” I say with renewed self-confidence, “let’s do this!” I pull out my camera, turn it on and switch it to _night mode_ , to maybe at least capture a hint of the atmosphere stunning us up here.

I’m just about to hit the release when suddenly I realize Noct’s hand still lingering on my shoulder. “Uhm, you’re good to let go of me now, Noct. I don’t think there’s an immediate danger of me falling down right here.”

“Oh, yeah, right…” he murmurs quickly and pulls away. “Sorry… It’s just…”

“Got it!” I snap my fingers. “And it turned out way better than expected!” Shoving the preview display in his face. “Whaddaya say?”

He nods approvingly. “Not bad.”

I lower the camera, slowly revealing our faces to each other. “It’s just _what_?” I ask quietly.

He purses his lips a bit helplessly, then shrugs and shakes his head. “I had to watch you fall once, I couldn’t take it a second time.”

I hold his eyes, puzzled. Is he talking about the train in Tenebrae?

“I realize I haven’t even properly apologized to you,” he murmurs. Looking away.

“It wasn’t your fault, Noct,” I point out quickly. “It was Ardyn who tricked you. Please don’t tell me you think I blame you.”

His eyes lock back to mine. “Yeah, he tricked me. But it doesn’t change the fact that it was me who pushed you off the train. I thought I’d killed you.”

He seems genuinely shaken saying this, and I can’t deny that it warms my heart to hear someone cares. “Thanks for coming for me,” I whisper, trying to give him a smile. “All this time I spent in that goddamn cell, I never gave up hope.”

His eyes grow distant. “But hope means you weren’t certain. I’m sorry I gave you reason to doubt.”

“You didn’t,” I shake my head quickly. “Not the _real_ you. It was just… when I was in that cell, I had no idea about the illusion yet.” Now I’m the one to look away. “All I knew was that you suddenly came at me on the train – and you were so furious, so full of hate. You tried to kill me – and then you shoved me off the train.” My eyes dart back to him and I see him staring at me, like this was the first time he thought about the events from my perspective. I go on slowly. “Of course I’d known something was off. After all, you’re my friend. But to be honest I’d thought Ardyn had told you about my real identity – and that made you believe I was a traitor.”

“Oh, Prompto…” he whispers. “I’m so sorry.”

I try to crack up an amicable grin. “There’s no need to apologize, seriously. We’ve overcome his trap, we’re all back together. That’s all that matters.”

He chuckles bittersweetly and nods. “So now we’re supposed to hug?”

“Whatever,” I shrug, take a step towards him and pull him into my arms.

The wind takes up on the lonely mountain terrace, vehemently tugging on our clothes and ruffling through our hair.

His arms around my back feel warm though.

“He really had it all planned, you know,” I suddenly whisper into the darkness, surprising myself.

“Who?”

“Ardyn. He knew exactly how to get to us, both of us.” I swallow and close my eyes, shuddering as my mind takes me back to that one moment on the train. “When you turned on me back then, thinking I was Ardyn, you shouted something at me. Something like ‘Why do you keep following me around?!’”

His voice close to my ear. “Yeah, I said that. But I meant Ardyn of course.”

“Remember when I told you how I’d always felt inferior to you guys? When you said that on the train, it felt like a knife.” I’m grateful for the hug right now, since it makes confessing this so much easier, not having to look him in the eyes. “To me, your words meant, ‘Why do you keep following me around like a lost puppy? You’re useless anyway.’”

“You know this is not how I feel,” he replies firmly. “I would have never made it this far without you guys, _any_ of you guys. You’re my best friend, Prompto, and on this dark journey, to me, you’re like the sun. Always cheering us up, making sure we never lose faith. I’m lucky we’re friends.”

“ _I’m_ lucky,” I say automatically, deeply moved by his words. I smile – and for a second, I may hug him even tighter.

I’m glad we had this talk, I’m glad he was concerned, I’m glad he reassured me.

So at least all this trouble getting up here had some good come out of it.

Eventually I break away, giving him a wry smile. “Alright, enough with the dark thoughts and confessions. We have a mountain to descend, a warm meal to devour and a soft bed to finally put our feet up!”

“You can say that again!” Noct agrees with a happy nod, gives me a pat on the shoulder and heads back towards the main trail.

I look after him for a second and strangely I don’t feel that cold anymore up here. Must be the sore muscles burning up inside my body.

Quickly I turn around as well and hurry to follow Noct – not like a lost useless puppy. Like the friend who always stands by his side. “Hey, buddy, wait up! Geez, my legs are _killing_ me!!”

_You’re the sun._

 

*******

 

Roughly one and a half hours later, the tiny bell over the diner entrance chimes as I push the door open. Dead beat and done for, we’re sluggishly trudging towards one of the booths like a pair of zombies, groaning as we’re finally able to let ourselves drop on the seats.

Lucky for me, Prince Noctis pretty soon gave up on denying his exhaustion any longer, so my endless monologue of complaints eventually turned into a significantly more satisfying duet.

“Ignis and Gladio so owe us one!” Noct growls, dropping his head against the backrest.

I’ve already grabbed the menu – a laminated one-page flyer – quickly scanning the few choices. “They should be back by tomorrow morning, right? Can’t take them long to get a cinch like that done.”

“I say no more splitting up anytime soon,” Noct replies. “If a job involves an ordeal like that, all of us should have to go through the hardship.”

Agreed. Splitting up had been a crackpot idea anyway. For whatever reason, last week quests had been coming in more quickly than we could work them off, so it had been Ignis’s idea to work simultaneously on two of the easier missions: Retrieving a legendary mithril screw from the top of the Rock of Ravatogh for Cindy as well as driving all the way over to Lestallum just to hunt down a level one goblin that twenty-five years ago gave Takka a funny look.

So much for equally demanding tasks…

We order quickly, then halfheartedly nosh our fries, which at least lifts our spirits a little since a sore body – like anything else, really – can be borne more easily with a full stomach rather than an empty one.

The motel luckily is just across the street, so we get ourselves a room – and once the door finally closes behind us, we can’t suppress a gasp of relief. We finally made it!

Our room is actually pretty nice, bigger than expected and aside from the beds there’s even room for a tiny table and two chairs. Noct immediately heads for the bed in front of the window, so I let myself drop on the one by the door. “Uh, this feels good,” I murmur as I burry my face in the soft pillow, not even bothering to take off my dusty shoes.

Noct sits down on the edge of his bed and checks his phone, probably for any news from G & I. “ _Just finished off that little bastard_ ,” he reads out loud, “ _Didn’t even take a scratch. Did you get the screw? See you in the morning!_ ”

I lazily catch a glimpse of him with one eye as he puts the phone away again. “You not gonna reply?” I ask with a muffled voice.

Getting up again to head for the bathroom, Noct snorts and shoots me a look. “It wouldn’t be a nice reply,” he tells me bluntly with his eyebrows raised and I start laughing into the pillow.

“ _Did you get the screw?_ ” I parrot sarcastically. “Well, s _crew you_!”

Noct grins and gives me the thumbs-up, then seconds later I hear the bathroom door lock.

When he comes out again, ready for bed in his usual dark T-shirt and gray sweatpants, I’m in the middle of treating my calves and ankles with soothing ointment, applying thick layers of balm to my skin.

“You think this is gonna help?” Noct asks as he hobbles over to his bed.

“I sure hope so,” I reply, tossing him the tube. “Want some, too?”

Delirious as he is, he fails to catch it of course, so it lands on the mattress next to him. He picks it up, taking a quick look at it. “Any chance I can get a bathtub full of this?”

“Oh, I hear you, buddy!” I chuckle empathically.

He grins back at me, then slides into bed, turns around and pulls the blanket over his head. “Nighty-night.”

“Night,” I reply, then force myself back on my feet and waddle over to the bathroom as well.

 

***

 

That night, I fall into an extremely deep sleep – still, my dreams are vivid and take me on a crazy rollercoaster ride over endlessly steep mountainsides, with giant screws chasing me around and huge stars and suns glaring up at me from the abyss. I feel my muscles ache even in my sleep as my body works to contain and repair the damage done as far as possible.

When I open my eyes again, I feel even more beat than before – getting out of bed and living through an entire day seems unthinkable. Luckily the room’s still pitch black. Even without my contacts I easily manage to read the display of the alarm clock on the bedside table faintly glowing green: Only 2:26, morning’s still far.

I realize it’s been the toilet flushing that woke me in the first place – apparently Noct isn’t enjoying the soundest of sleeps of his life either. I roll over on my back – that actually takes quite a lot of effort – acknowledging with a grunt my thighs and shoulders are now aching as well. _Thank you, destiny!_

Already drifting back to sleep, it’s only subconsciously that I notice the bathroom unlock again and Noct’s steps as he carefully tries to feel his way back to his bed in the dark.

This is when it happens. Out of nowhere, some monster attacks me in my sleep, throws itself at me! Waking with a start, I scream, struggle to fight it off, arms flailing around me, disoriented, heart racing like a lunatic’s.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry…” It’s Noct’s voice close to me, as he tries to catch my hands to calm me down. “It’s just me. I’m so sorry, wrong bed.”

It takes me a few blinks to grow still, only gradually realizing there is no immediate danger.

“Sorry,” Noct apologizes again. “I was still half asleep.” And dryly he adds. “Now I’m not anymore.”

“Yeah well me neither,” I growl, taking a deep breath to calm down. “Sheesh.”

He let himself drop right on my sore legs, a surge of pain shooting through my entire body as I kick them free.

“Sorry,” he repeats again, making an attempt on getting back to his feet, but failing. “ _Oh, my aching back!_ ” he complains, spontaneously imitating Cid. “Just give me a second.”

I catch myself laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation and despite it, propping myself on my arms sitting up. “You know, I thought you were a monster.” Cracking a grin. “Lucky for you I don’t sleep with a gun under my pillow.”

“Oh, Prompto, just look at you,” he counters, “any slug frozen within a glacier would be faster with a gun than you are right now.”

“The real tragedy is,” I admit with a theatrical sigh, “you’re actually right.”

Noct is going for a second attempt to heave himself back up to his feet, when suddenly my hand snatches his wrist and holds him back. “Wait a second, Noct.”

He seems just as surprised at this as I am myself, but eventually complies and sits back down on the edge of the bed, looking at me curiously. “What?”

The room lies in complete darkness, a few faint beams of moonlight falling in through the window the only source of light. Noct’s face as well stays mostly hidden in the shadows even though he’s so close, the silver moonlight however reflected in his eyes.

I feel a weak smile brushing over my face as I look at him, even though he probably won’t be able to see it. “There’s something I wanted to tell you,” I say, “and I think I should say it now since tomorrow morning it may seem too foolish.”

“Is it something bad?” Noct asks quietly, worried by the fact he’s unable to guess where this is going.

“No,” I reassure him quickly. “Not at all. It’s just about what you said to me yesterday, back up there at Owlyss Haven. About me being like the sun.”

I’m so right. It would feel incredibly ridiculous and stupid tomorrow morning, with us being back to everyday routine, with Gladio stomping around like a behemoth and Ignis delivering his smart one-liners left and right, and the entire world around us sharp and crisp in bright daylight. But here and now, in the secure darkness of the night, with just him and me around and the soreness of our muscles mixed with all the exhaustion making our heads feel pleasantly light, it seems okay.

“I’m happy to hear this is how you feel,” I say quietly, “but in my opinion it’s actually the other way around. _You’re_ the sun, Noct – to all of us.”

“Prompto…” he calls me softly and amicably, then takes another breath and I know he’s about to object, so I cut him off.

“It’s true,” I insist. “You’re the one who brought us here, brought out the best in each one of us.” And on a slightly more personal level I add with a sheepish smile, “Made us feel special.” Keeping my eyes fixed on his. “You made us believe there’s actually hope for this world. You’re the king we wanna follow.” My voice fades into the darkness and the room grows still again. For a few seconds we just sit there like this and I’m glad I got this chance to tell him. His words up there on the summit had made me so happy, I thought he deserved to receive a few kind ones as well in return. “So, that’s it, that’s all I wanted you to know.” And to lighten the mood a little: “Oh, and you’re actually pretty heavy yourself. Just so you know.” Adding under my breath: “Been wanting to throw that line back at you for a veeery long time.”

That makes him laugh merrily, but I know the happiness in his voice isn’t just there because of the joke. “Oh, shut up, will ya?” he counters amicably, giving me a playful clap against the back of my head.

“Hey,” I complain laughing, but then suddenly grow still, as his hand keeps lingering right there maybe a second too long, then drops down to the back of my neck.

Something’s weird, something’s off. There’s a sudden change in the mood, even though I’m unable to grasp it.

The gesture feels nice, his hand warm and gentle. It spreads throughout my body, just like it did after our hug on the mountain. For a blink I wish we could stay like this forever, just us, in quiet and peace, gazing into each other’s moonlit eyes. But we don’t.

_To me, you are the sun._

In the darkness of the motel room, on this very night, with Ignis and Gladio gone and us close, with our muscles sore, heads light and hearts heavy, the sun so far from rising and yet already right here in the middle of this room with us – we kiss.

                                                                                                                                         

To me, he’s the sun.

The true meaning of this I didn’t really grasp until I felt his lips against mine. Soft, gentle – he warms my heart like the sunrise following an endless night, bathing me in light.

Yes, it came out of the blue, but neither one of us startles or shies away, like we’ve both waited for this to happen without even knowing.

With his hand still on the back of my neck he pulls me closer, and I raise my arms to wrap them around him, scared he might suddenly disappear and leave me all alone.

Because without him, this is all I’d be. No real parents, no siblings, no friends – he’s all I ever had. He was the one who smiled at me, who accepted my hand when I reached out to him. He was the one who introduced me to Ignis and Gladio, made me part of this team that means the world to me. Without him, I’d still be alone.

Yes, I’ve always felt this deep gratitude to him for raising me to his side, admired him for the person he was. But to now feel that devotion being returned, it’s the most breathtaking feeling I’ve ever known.

I sense his fingers slide up my neck, trailing through my hair and it sends shivers down my spine. I couldn’t bear to lose him, not now, not ever. So I bring my hand to his chest, grab his shirt tightly and pull him into bed with me as I lay back on the pillow, the muscles in my arms and back immediately protesting by sending a fierce jolt of pain through my entire body, but his kiss makes all the aching go away.

I’ve never felt safer, more complete than right now, with the weight of his body against mine. Intensifying the kiss, I reach for the back of his head, run my fingers through his spiky hair. Then his lips grow still, for a moment just lingering on mine as if to really take in that sensation. A pleasant prickling seems to emerge from the touch, and he gives me a loving chuckle before catching my lips in yet another kiss.

I feel myself returning the smile as I close my eyes, enjoying the feeling of being wanted, of being cherished, of being loved for as long as it might last.

In each other’s embrace we fall asleep and this time there are no bad dreams waiting on the other side to haunt me.


	2. Step 2: Cling to the silent treatment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much to everyone who commented or left kudos on the first chapter! It made me so happy to see you enjoyed the way this story started.  
> Here we go with the second chapter, poor Prompto suffering the consequences...  
> Hope you'll enjoy as well!

**Step 2: Cling to the silent treatment**

 

_Hoooonk! Hoooonk!_

What the fucking hell?!

With every inch of my body refusing vehemently to wake up, the first thing I do as this irritating noise jolts me out of my sleep is frown. That is about the only movement I’m capable of without getting killed by my sore muscles anyway. I thought my body would tend to healing during my sleep, but instead the muscle ache has grown ten times worse.

Feeling stiff as a board, it takes me a lot of will power to just open my eyes.

Disoriented at first, I stretch slowly, wincing at another shot of pain, when suddenly a loud knock on the door gets me to sit up with a start.

“Hey there guys, open up, we’re back!” Gladio’s voice feels like a trombone cutting through the quietness of the morning. “Sleep time’s over!”

_Apparently._

_Knock, knock, knock_ again.

Talk about him being the _sensitive_ guy.

“Yeah, yeah,” I growl. “On my way...”

Sluggishly, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, forcing myself on my feet. Only now I notice the sound of the shower coming from the bathroom. _Noct_ , I shrug it off drowsily, not quite able to grasp whatever memory is trying to stir in the back of my mind.

Painfully slow – pun intended – I shuffle across the room and unlock the door, which immediately comes flying in my face as Gladio barges in.

“Good morning to you too,” I mutter sarcastically.

“So how was yesterday’s mission?” he blares immediately, letting himself drop on one of the chairs. “That level one goblin was so weak, we went ahead and slayed a few more challenging beasts on top!” Tossing a small bag with bounty on the table. “What did you bring back home?”

“Sore muscles,” I deadpan quickly, as eventually Ignis enters the room as well, carrying two paper bags.

“And we brought breakfast,” he announces.

That at least is music to my ears, and I feel that the delicious scent of freshly brewed coffee has been what it took for me to actually wake up properly all along. “Iggy, you’re a lifesaver, as always!”

I’m just about to follow him back into the main room, when all of a sudden the bathroom door opens and I’m face to face with Noct – hair wet, but otherwise already dressed in his hiking clothes – and I freeze.

The memory that had been trying to stir in the back of my mind earlier is fully present immediately, hitting me like a sledge hammer.

I waver, panic, disbelief and embarrassment taking away my breath.

_Holy freaking shit!! What have I done?!_

 

For like ten seconds or so we just stare at each other – him apparently as shocked as me, whether because he didn’t expect to run into anyone right outside the bathroom or because he’s thinking what I’m thinking, I don’t know. It’s the longest ten seconds of my life in any case.

_No freaking WAY!_ Tell me this didn’t actually happen! I didn’t _actually_ kiss my best friend last night, did I? It was just a crazy, pain and exhaustion induced dream, right? _Right_?! Has to be! Because there’s just no freaking way I would ever do something as gross as to make out with my friend and – more importantly – fellow _dude_ (!) Noct…!

I mean, this is _Noct_ we’re talking about. Seriously. The guy I’ve been buddies with for years. We used to sit next to each other in school, spent endless afternoons together playing video games, reading comic books and munching potato chips; let alone on this crazy road trip we’ve lived in the same tent, used the same bathroom and slept in the same bed thousands of times. I know everything about this guy, and there’s certainly nothing sexy about _that_.

To put it in a nutshell: There’s absolutely no way this has actually happened. Absolutely. No. Way.

The way Noct turns his head and pushes past me without a greeting or a smile or basically _any_ kind of reaction, tells me otherwise though. The look on his face is distant and stern, as if he weren’t even able to look me in the eyes anymore. And no matter what I’ve been trying to convince myself of, this is what – after all – hits me in the heart like a Tonberry’s knife.

“Now would you look at that!” I hear Ignis’s voice coming from around the corner. “Noct already awake and ready to leave? Is it my birthday?”

Gladio’s laughing happily as well. “Hey, Prompto,” he calls, in his usual mocking voice, “looks like you were the only one who couldn’t get his sorry ass out of bed!” More laughter.

I can’t take this, not now. In a sudden fit of panic, I rush into the bathroom, seeking shelter there, hastily locking the door behind me. The air’s still steamy and hot from Noct’s shower. Makes it hard to breathe.

Suddenly shaken, I stumble over to the sink, try to steady myself there and force myself to breathe. I have no explanation for what happened last night. None whatsoever.

But the consequences are as clear to me as morning daylight: I gambled with the one thing that made my life worth living, the best thing that ever happened to me, the only thing that actually mattered to me in this entire world – our friendship.

_You’re the sun._

And I made it set.

 

About ten minutes later, I step back into the main room, now also ready to head out. I’ve washed up, brushed my teeth, groomed my hair, put in my contact lenses, changed into my outdoor clothes and put on my most carefree face, the mask that keeps my true feelings hidden underneath.

“There he is, fresh as the morning breeze!” Gladio comments immediately and they all turn around to look at me. Except for Noct.

I force myself to swallow the second surge of pain his cold behavior sends through my body and remind myself I have to get through this somehow – for now, keeping up the act is all that matters. “So,” I start, chipper, “did you guys have the decency to leave me some breakfast or did you greedily devour all of it to the last breadcrumb?”

“Noct left half of his share untouched,” Ignis informs me.

I hop over to the table, snatching a donut with chocolate frosting. “His loss,” I grin, taking a huge bite.

 

***

 

So this is how the morning plays out: We quickly pack our stuff and check out, then get into the car to take a longer drive towards Galdin Quay, where our next mission is already waiting for us.

During all of this, Noct never even once meets my eyes or talks to me unless absolutely forced to. His odd behavior naturally doesn’t go unnoticed by the others, but once confronted with it, he blames the exhaustion and muscle ache from yesterday’s hike, so they quickly leave him alone.

I on the other hand carry it off a lot better, so I constantly find myself at the center of any yesterday-related conversation. How was your day? How did the mission go? Did you find the mithril screw? Where was it hidden? How long did it take for you to reach the summit? Did you encounter any dangerous monsters? Did you get back down before nightfall?

Luckily I’m also the one behind the wheel, so I keep my eyes fixed on the road and don’t have to meet anyone’s eyes during my reports – a blessing, since I end up leaving out any aspect that could get us dangerously close to the more sensitive parts of yesterday’s events, conveniently replacing them with alternative facts I come up with on the fly.

I don’t even mention the stunning view we were treated to on the summit, so in the end never showing Ignis and Gladio the pictures I’ve taken, even though that was the only reason we even stopped there in the first place. To me, Owlyss Haven somehow has become the root of this entire misery – whatever it is that happened, I’m certain by now that all of it actually started up there, with a starlit sky, gentle words and heartwarming gestures, the deadly ingredients for any kind of delusion.

From time to time, I catch myself taking a glance at Noct through the rear mirror, but he just sits there with a bored expression, gazing at the landscape, chin buried in his hand. Impossible to guess what he’s thinking about, though it’s pretty obvious it isn’t something good.

 

The worst thing is the fighting. Fighting as in _engaging in battles_ , not as in _having an argument_. We’re not having an argument. Not even close. You can’t have an argument when you’re not even talking.

Engaging in battles however requires you to be part of a team and interact with any of its members. In battles like ours – with powerful foes throwing themselves at us left and right – you can’t afford to let your personal sensitivities get in the way. It might cost you your life. So we do our best to ignore whatever this is when facing monsters and other foes, but the ease between us that allowed us to almost naturally have our backs is gone.

Nevertheless, we’re done with our mission at Galdin Quay by nightfall and end up making camp at one of the havens nearby. Then eventually, with Ignis and Gladio busy talking by the camping stove and Noct already asleep in the tent, I sit alone by the campfire, stare into the flames and my mask finally drops.

Here’s the ultimate formula against sore muscles: Replace your ache with a much, much stronger pain – and you won’t even notice it’s there. Worked for me.

So yeah. This is it. Time to face the truth. Here I am, back to _Prompto 1.0_ – the person I was before I got blessed with this epic friendship that would change my life for the better. Cause no matter how you put it, Noct is the reason why I’ve become the person I am today, someone who’s happy, someone who’s strong, someone who makes a difference, someone who’s welcome and appreciated by his friends. Without the wish to get to know him, I would have never worked up the determination to change anything about my life, to try to be more confident and outgoing. Without our paths crossing, I would still be that sad, lonely boy, returning day after day to a dark and empty home.

I owe him a lot. So it’s true, Noct does mean the world to me. Maybe that’s the feeling that fooled me last night. Maybe for a tiny moment I mistook that warmth for something else.

No matter the reason, now I’m paying the price. The damage done to our friendship can never be undone. We’re beyond repair. Regardless of the extent these wounds may or may not heal in the future, the scars will remain. We can never go back to the way we were before last night. We will never be as comfortable around each other ever again, never laugh together in such a carefree way. He will never look at me the same ever again.

If only I’d been aware of all those consequences last night. If only someone had grabbed me by the shoulders, jolted me awake and made me think about this dark place a single moment of imprudence would send me to, I would have stopped it. And my world would have stayed intact. But I didn’t. And now I lost the only person who ever mattered in my life. My friend – my best friend Noctis.

“Whatcha brooding there all by yourself?” Gladio suddenly comes by my chair, a bowl of curry in his hands.

“Aw, you know, just bracin’ myself to dig in,” I announce boisterously, hastily wiping over my eyes before he can turn around. Mask back up.

Ignis joins us seconds later, handing me a serving of my own.

“Smells super delicious, Iggy, thanks!” I praise.

Gladio, getting comfortable in the camping chair next to mine, points at the tent with his fork. “What’s the deal with him?”

“He says he’s still not feeling well,” Ignis tells us, the look on his face collected as always, but I can sense he’s worried. “He’s skipping dinner.”

“Strange, but whatever,” Gladio murmurs with a shrug, shoveling a huge forkful of curry in his mouth.

Another surge of pain flashing through my heart. Noct sure isn’t trying very hard to hide his resentments against me – just great. How am I even supposed to feel any better if he keeps acting like that? And on top of that, it’s putting all the more pressure on me to keep up my charade, since one person getting Ignis and Gladio to raise their eyebrows is already more than enough.

“Well,” I say, grinning at my friends. “All the more curry for us, right?”

 

***

 

Two more days go by without any significant improvement to our situation – the number of words I’ve exchanged with Noct ever since that night at the motel can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Excluding the thumb. And any other finger for that matter.

On the morning of the third day, however, things suddenly take an unexpected turn.

“Has anyone seen Noct?” Gladio asks while Ignis and I are loading our supplies into the trunk.

“Not me,” I shrug and quickly pause to take a look around, but except for us, the Regalia and two other cars, the parking lot in front of the motel seems abandoned. “Maybe he’s still inside. I was just about to go back for our bags anyway.”

Am I nervous heading back to the motel, possibly bumping into Noct alone? A little maybe. This is going to be our first time alone ever since. What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to act? Casual? Like this entire mess didn’t get to me at all? Or give him a sad look, making him realize I’m hurting as well, even though I’m not letting it show as much as he does? I honestly don’t know – and I won’t ever find out, since our motel room is just as empty as the parking lot.

Alright. No confrontation at all is better than a bad confrontation, right? So I grab our bags as promised, take one last look around the room to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind, then head out again, locking the door behind me.

Ignis and Gladio are waiting by the car, both turning their heads to me as I walk over.

I mistake that gesture for curiosity on whether I found Noct or not. So I quickly shake my head. “He wasn’t in there either.”

“Alright, smarty-pants,” Gladio replies instead, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning back against the Regalia. “Time to put the cards on the table.”

_Cards?_

Eyes boring into mine. “How intense was it, between you and Noct?”

I freeze, dropping the bags. “Beg your pardon?!” I grow pale. _He knows? Impossible!!_

“The fight,” he clarifies and I close my eyes in relief. “The two of you had a fight, didn’t you. The day we split up. The day you climbed the Rock of Ravatogh.”

I have no way of assessing the damage my mask has already suffered from my shocked reaction just now, leaving me no other choice but to keep up the charade anyway. “Fight? What are you talking about,” I tsk at him. “Noct and me? Oh, pa-lease. We’re the textbook example of palsy-walsy.”

Gladio doesn’t sound too impressed. “Depends on the definition, huh? Considering you’re not talking anymore, avoid each other’s eyes and every time you have to touch in battle, one could get the impression someone made you grab a slimy slug with bare hands.”

Huh. I’m genuinely surprised he noticed. I thought I’d managed to hide my feelings pretty well, but I guess in the end it would have taken two.

“We’re all in this together, Prompto,” Ignis reminds me quickly, drawing my attention away from Gladio. “We’ve come too far to let anything get in our way. Noct is gone and we don’t know where he went. His cellphone goes straight to voicemail. He might be in danger. You owe us the truth, Prompto, if it helps us find him.”

His words are calm and reasonable, as always, and I know he’s right. No matter the ice frozen over our relationship, the thought of Noct being hurt immediately stirs a wrenching pain in my heart.

And yet. There’s no way I could ever tell them about the kiss. No way on earth. What would they think of me? Besides, there’d be so many question I don’t even have an answer for myself. They’d end up thinking of me differently – and I cannot afford to lose them, too.

“Alright, we did fight,” I confess eventually. “You’re right. He’s angry at me, that’s probably why he ran away.”

“Must have been one hell of a fight,” Gladio comments, whether or not there’s suspicion in his voice I can’t tell.

Ignis eyes me closely. “What did you fight over?”

Ouch! That inquiry was to be expected, yet I’m entirely unprepared. Whew… Well, good question. What could Noct and I possibly have fought over? Something regarding the hike? The route, maybe? Maybe he wanted to take an unnecessary detour? Or did we fight over the bottle of water? Maybe he was annoyed with my constant complaining? We could have fought over dinner! Perhaps he wanted to sleep whereas I wanted to eat? Or maybe I was angry because he woke me at night when he went to the bathroom? But that would bring us dangerously close to _THE_ moment again, so bad idea as well… Shit, I have no idea! Truth is, I can’t even remember the last time Noct and I actually fought – yep, told you our friendship was epic.

I stutter, but no matter how hard I try, I’m unable to come up with a reason on the spot that would justify us giving each other the silent treatment for three days and eventually get him to run off on his own without telling anybody.

My hesitation gives me away and the damage is done: Ignis and Gladio see right through me.

“The truth, Prompto,” Ignis demands.

“Alright,” I whisper, casting my eyes down, like a kid forced to make a confession. “There’s something I should tell you.”


	3. Step 3: Chicken out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, sorry it took me so long to update...  
> Thanks to everyone who left kudos or a comment on the previous chapter, I was so happy to hear you're enjoying the story so far!  
> Poor Prompto's still got a bit of a rocky road ahead...  
> Hopefully you'll enjoy the next chapter!

**Step 3: Chicken out**

 

I feel both of them staring at me and under any other circumstances I’d rather die than say this out loud. But what other choice do I have? They will never let this go.

“That night at the motel,” I say, voice shaking, eyes shut. “Noct and I… We kissed.”

Crickets chirping in the distance. Otherwise silence.

“Kissed?” Gladio repeats, startled. Even though he tries to hide it, this is the one verb he didn’t expect. _Invented a rocket and flew to the moon_ would have been higher up on his list of likely answers. He blinks, eying me closely. “What do you mean?”

I growl, the humiliation of him making me spell it out immediately getting me to lose my temper. “What do you mean _what do you mean_? It’s not like there’s that much room for interpretation, now is there?!”

“So you’re gay,” Gladio concludes automatically, nearly making my stomach turn in shock and embarrassment at his directness.

“What? No! Geez, _NO_! It wasn’t me who started it!” _Wasn’t it_? “I mean, I don’t really recall. It happened so fast.”

“So someone kissed someone that night. And that’s all?” Gladio pushes on, disgruntlement intensifying.

“Of _course_ that’s all!” I counter immediately, now seriously upset. “What the hell are you thinking? We’re _friends_!”

“So it would seem,” Gladio snorts.

Ignis chips in before the situation escalates. “Did you get drunk?” he asks and at first I can even say whether I’m grateful he’s effectively offering me a way out with this, or this suggestion insults me even further.

“We didn’t drink,” I growl eventually, sticking to the truth.

“Then how did it happen?” Ignis pushes on. “You need to give us more details.”

“ _More details_ , Iggy, are you serious?!” I yell. “You’d like to see a video recording or what?!”

Ignis stays entirely cool, eyes fixed on me. “I’ve certainly no intention whatsoever to spy on your private lives,” he points out. “I need more details to understand why our king has run away and how we can find him to keep him from harm.”

For a few seconds I just stare at him. The way he said this, so convinced and serious, it’s so disarming, I feel like an ass for bitching over them prying while Noct could be anywhere, sitting peacefully at a lake fishing or lying in a puddle of his own blood with a furious behemoth over him.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper guilty. “It’s just… I don’t understand it myself, so how am I supposed to explain?” I shake my head and it takes all my willpower to open my mouth and actually talk about this to their faces. “The climb was really exhausting, we were so beat when we got back to the motel. Our legs hurting, muscles sore. We went to bed immediately, but some time after midnight, Noct went to the bathroom, waking me up. We ended up talking a bit when he came back, neither of us really awake, both still dizzy from the exhaustion. That’s when it happened. It was just a kiss, that’s all. Then we went back to sleep.”

It sounds so surreal, saying this out loud, even though after all I’ve found myself presenting them some kind of downgraded version. One that’s objectively accurate, but lacks all the details that may have contributed to this very course of events. I just can’t bring myself to include those because they’re also the details that somehow _meant something_ to me. The hug on the mountain summit, the compliments, his playful clap on my head that suddenly turned into the prickling sensation of his fingers on my neck. Mentioning those details would mean letting them gaze deep into my soul. Too deep. So this version will have to make do. “I never wanted things to be as awkward as they are now, and I certainly never wanted to chase him away.” I keep my eyes fixed on Ignis, who rubs his chin with a pensive expression. “So please tell me you have an idea on where he might be.”

“Sadly, no,” Ignis replies after a while. “An unexpected intimate moment with his best friend isn’t something I had on my list of potential hazards to our objective.”

_Wait, what?!_ “Hazard?” I repeat, the word feeling like a slap in my face. I went out of my way to confess this and all he thinks about is how I endangered their holy mission?!

“He’s right, you know,” Gladio agrees, looking just as displeased with me. “This cause is so much bigger than us. Thousands of lives are at stake, the fate of our Kingdom. Couldn’t you have at least waited for all of this to be over before going all Mogback Mountain on him?”

For several seconds, I stare at him with my eyes wide open. “Unbelievable,” I murmur eventually, not even trying to hide my disappointment in them. “Why am I bothering if you’re not even _trying_ to understand? Yeah, sadly I can’t recall which one of us made the first move. But I can assure you, your precious Prince Noctis played his part in it as well. Not that it matters to you. To you, the only villain here is me.” With one final disillusioned look at them I turn around. “Great bunch of friends you are.”

 

***

 

Even several minutes later, my cheeks are still burning with fire. I can’t even tell whether that’s because of the embarrassing confession, Ignis and Gladio’s hurtful words or the anger I feel at them for not being there for me when I needed them. The thoughts in my head keep spinning round like crazy, yet everything is being overshadowed by the constant image of Noct being taken captive by the Empire, fatally wounded by heavily armed MTs or even executed right on the spot.

“Shit!”

Eyes tightly shut as if to block out reality, I sit there on the porch of the diner, forehead buried in my hands. Damn everything that has happened, everything that got me in this situation!! If only I could take it all back.

After a while, I notice Ignis sitting down next to me. He doesn’t say a word, but just stays there in silence overlooking the landscape.

“It really _is_ my fault, you know,” I whisper after a while. “Gladio’s right.”

I feel his eyes on me.

“It doesn’t matter who _started_ it, whether it was Noct or me,” I continue. “I’m guilty because I didn’t _stop_ it.” I take in a deep breath, then say it out loud. “If anything happens to Noct, it’s on me.”

Ignis doesn’t reply for a while, then eventually folds his hands and gazes into the distance. “You know, our lives have been revolving around Noct for as long as we can think,” he eventually replies. “The thought that he might be in danger and we’re not around to help him, shut down our minds. But we’re not just Noct’s friends, we’re also yours – and I realize we’ve failed in doing that fact justice.” He turns his head and looks at me directly, eyes earnest. “Forgive us, Prompto.”

I return the look for a few seconds, then cast down my eyes. Him admitting this out loud makes me feel ashamed over my own reaction. “How could I even expect you – no, even _demand_ of you – to understand, when I don’t even understand it myself.”

Immediately, I feel his hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you don’t have to. Maybe you even _can’t_ – not on your own. So maybe all that counts for now is to reunite with Noct. Go one step at a time. All the other puzzle pieces might just fall into place on their own.”

For a few moments I think about what he said. It’s true, in the end it might take two to find out where Noct and I stand, and making sure Noct is alright is my first and foremost concern right now anyway. So as Ignis said, there may only be one way to go from here. “You’re right, Iggy,” I murmur with a nod, pursing my lips to force a weak smile, “as always.”

He gives me a clap on my shoulder, standing up. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”

I look up at him, squinting as the rising sun appears through the clouds right next to his head, blinding me. “But how are we supposed to find him? He’s turned off his phone – and I don’t suppose he left a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow.”

Right on cue, it’s Gladio popping up next to us. On his face there’s a confident smile. “I may have an idea, come on!”

 

Seconds later, we’re gathered round the car in the parking lot once more, curiously watching Gladio as he fishes a certain item from our bags in the trunk. “There it is!”

“Luna’s notebook,” Ignis identifies with surprise, the tone in his voice making it obvious he likes where Gladio is going with this.

“He left it here, with all his other stuff, of course,” Gladio nods, turning around. “We can use it to call Umbra, and who’s better equipped to track Noct down anywhere anytime than him?”

“That’s the prefect idea!” I yell immediately. In my heart I know this plan is going to work and it gives me a hell of a relief to know we have a way to reunite with Noct and make sure my mistake from that night won’t have any graver consequences than an injured friendship (as bad as this is already). This instantaneous euphoria gets me to forget our fight from earlier for a second and I pat Gladio’s shoulder approvingly. “Look at you, big guy! Not just muscles, also brains.”

“Yeah, well,” he replies with this chuckle that somehow always ends up sounding like a mixture of a snicker and a growl, but as he turns his head and our eyes meet, the memory of the things said earlier are present again immediately, the walls of ice between us back up.

“Hey, you know,” he murmurs, voice now low and rueful. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” he confesses while I keep my eyes straight on the ground. “I mean, I still think it’s true – you – or Noct, or whoever it was – definitely picked the worst moment possible for a crackpot idea like that,” he points out with a shrug (so much for an apology…), “but _the way_ I said it was wrong. Sorry.”

“Yeah, I agree,” I snort eventually, then look up and give him a amicable smile. “On _both_ your points.”

This makes his look melt into a wry grin and I know we’re gonna be okay. No matter how things will eventually turn out with Noct, I’ll always have those two as my friends.

“Well, I guess that worked,” Ignis’s voice chips in all of a sudden, but he’s not talking about us. He’s standing a few steps away from us, the notebook in his hands – when did he snatch that from Gladio anyway? –, a brown-furred dog sitting attentively in front of him.

“He’s already here?” I shake my head in surprise. “How did you manage to call him?”

“I held the book in my hands and asked for him to help us,” Ignis explains nonchalantly. “I thought about how Noct might be in danger. Looks like that’s all we needed.”

“He’s probably worried about Noct just as much as we are,” Gladio suspects and he might be right, considering Umbra quickly confirms it with an affirmative bark.

“Thank you for your help,” Ignis says, crouching down to ruffle the dog’s fur. “Let’s go and find our king!”

 

***

 

There’s no need for Umbra to sniff the air or find Noct’s scent on the ground. It’s obvious the dog already knows where he needs to go as he heads straight west in a moderate trot. We follow him jogging, first stepping over the knee-high fence surrounding the parking lot, then hurrying on cross-country, the huge open plains lying before us, over stones and rocks and bushes, heading west, always west.

A good fifteen minutes later, we reach a small forest at the foot of a hill and Umbra slows his pace as the terrain gets a little rougher. We make our way past the trees and across fallen branches when eventually the trees reveal a clearing straight ahead with a little pond and a person sitting there with his back towards us, gazing at the water: Noct.

Involuntarily, my legs automatically freeze as if someone put the handbrake on. Yeah, I wanted to find him, I wanted to make sure he’s okay, but seeing him sitting there in person, the real deal, not just the thought of him, makes me chicken out. I can’t do this. I can’t. No way.

Ignis and Gladio have noticed my reaction by now and stopped as well.

“Prompto?” I hear Gladio’s deep voice, my eyes however stay fixed on Noct’s figure in the distance, like I’m unable to quit staring at a ghostly apparition right in front of me.

“So he’s safe, apparently,” is what I murmur eventually, then my eyes break free and meet my friends’. “That’s good.”

“You’re not coming, are you?” Ignis is the first one to realize.

I force myself to crack a carefree smile, but I fear _bittersweet_ is the best I can do. “I think it might be best to take a little break.” Taking a step back – whether to stress my point or to increase the distance between Noct and myself I don’t know. “We agreed to split up more often anyway, didn’t we? I think I’m gonna deliver that mithril screw to Hammerhead, clear a few missions over there…”

Gladio’s just about to open his mouth to object, probably pointing out that splitting up wasn’t intended as 3:1. Or maybe reminding me that there’s actually no point in delivering the mythril screw without the accompanying Regalia – which would obviously stay with the majority.

But it’s Ignis who replies first. “Alright, then. But don’t be reckless.”

“Seriously now?!” Gladio frowns, giving Ignis a confused look. _How can you agree to this?!_

I purse my lips for a moment, then close my eyes and nod at them amicably. “Thanks, Iggy.”

“Send us a text once you’ve arrived in Hammerhead safely.”

“Will do,” I assure him, then take another step backwards. “Take care of yourselves – and of Noct.” Staring down at the ground. “And please forgive me,” I mutter breathlessly. “But this friendship meant everything to me. I need to hold onto it just a little while longer, before I lose it forever.”

Gladio’s still shaking his head. “Seriously…”

Without allowing my eyes to catch one last glimpse at the pond, I turn around and start running – away from the clearing, away from the woods, away from my friends and away from my problems that are still gonna haunt me, no matter where I may run.

 

***

 

So in the end, it’s just Ignis and Gladio approaching Noctis at the pond.

The prince shoots them a glance over his shoulder as soon as he notices their footsteps – the cracking of branches underneath their shoes giving them away.

“Thought you’d come after me. Didn’t expect you to that soon, though,” he murmurs, before looking back at the water.

“What are you thinking, Noct?” Ignis asks immediately, the reproach in his voice clearly audible. “You cannot take off like that on your own. It’s dangerous.”

“I just wanted to be alone for a few moments, without anyone following me around,” Noctis counters quickly. “Is that too much to ask?”

“Considering you’re the sole survivor of the royal family and the Empire wants you dead,” Gladio chips in, “ _Yes_. We’ve sworn to protect you, Noct. We can’t do that if you don’t even give us the chance to.”

“Well, what if I don’t _want_ to be protected?!” he bursts out all of a sudden, fist smashing on the ground next to him.

For a moment, Ignis and Gladio just stand there, speechless, looking at their prince.

Once this sudden fit of anger wears off, Noctis grows melancholic. “Forgive me,” he whispers quietly. “It’s just… I seem to keep losing people around me. I couldn’t stand to lose anyone else.” He lowers his head. “I’ve already lost so many. People close to me. First my father, then Luna…”

“And now Prompto?” Ignis suggests, following that chain of thought down towards the anticipated destination.

It makes Noctis flinch visibly, then he closes his eyes. “So he told you.”

“Yeah, well, he told us _something_ ,” Gladio specifies with a growl, adding under his breath, “some PG version, at least.” The huff he adds earns him a displeased frown from the prince.

“There’s nothing more to tell,” Noctis counters immediately. “But it’s bad enough. I guess it didn’t escape you our friendship lies in ruins. It’s almost unbearable to just be around him.”

Ignis reads this as Noctis being really angry at Prompto for what happened that night, and it makes him feel sorry for Prompto – knowing how much their friend dreaded the fact that all his fears were actually true.

“Well, looks like at least _that_ won’t be a problem anymore for now,” Gladio points out. “Considering Prompto left.”

Noctis winces and turns around, eyes open wide in surprise. “Left?!”

“He went back to Hammerhead for a while,” Ignis explains matter-of-factly.

“To see Cindy?” Noctis immediately asks, surprising Ignis with the assumption.

“I don’t know,” Ignis replies a bit perplexed. “He didn’t say.”

“Hopefully,” Noctis murmurs, eyes wandering back to the murky water.

Ignis first reads this remark as _Hopefully – he’s confused and that should help him come back to his senses._ The way Noctis actually finishes his sentence however, makes Ignis doubt that’s what the prince really meant.

Eyes still resting on the water, Noctis whispers, as if to himself, “That would make things so much easier…”


End file.
